The Tribune Endorsements

February 29, 2000

The Chicago Tribune today begins its endorsements in the March 21 Illinois primary with contested races for the state legislature.

Illinois Senate

21st District: GOP Sen. Chris Lauzen's unsuccessful run for state comptroller in 1998 suggests he's grown tired of his current job. News that the mayors of St. Charles, Geneva and Batavia have endorsed one of his opponents, Sunny Abello, suggests community leaders have grown tired of Lauzen. That's no surprise, for his crusades can be quixotic and distracting. Abello, of Batavia, a long-time educator and administrator on leave from Waubonsee Community College, would be more attentive to constituents' needs. Her failure to support a key firearms provision of the Safe Neighborhoods Act is a deep disappointment. But on the whole, she would be an improvement over Lauzen. Abello is endorsed over Lauzen and Scott Sutterlin of Geneva.

28th District: When Sen. Marty Butler died in 1998, Republican honchos installed Dave Sullivan to fill the vacancy. Sullivan, of Park Ridge, has political connections--he was political director of Gov. George Ryan's 1998 campaign--but has had modest involvement in the community he was tapped to serve. Sullivan in his brief tenure has been a decent legislator, but voters have an opportunity to choose someone who has worked extensively on community and school issues. That is Arlen Gould, a business owner and former teacher whose education advocacy goes back to his work in the Ogilvie administration. Gould is a member and former president of a Wheeling school board. His moderate instincts match the district and he is endorsed.

59th District: Democratic Sen. Ned Mitchell, who was mayor of Downstate Sesser for 20 years before his 1999 appointment to this seat, gets the nod over Rep. Larry Woolard and environmentalist Mark Donham. Mitchell has the best understanding of how to balance competing local interests.

Illinois House

1st District: In a rematch of a very close 1998 race, the endorsement goes again to Susana Mendoza, a project coordinator in the Chicago Department of Planning, over Rep. Sonia Silva. Mendoza's energy and enthusiasm would be a refreshing change in Springfield.

4th District: Rep. Edgar Lopez, who played a key role in George Ryan's trip to Cuba and has encouraged state support for a lifting of the U.S. embargo, has been emerging as a more vocal player in the legislature. He is the choice over a decent challenger, Cynthia Soto, a supervisor in the Cook County state's attorney's office.